Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-06-09
A BITTER MEMORY.
When and How Made Brute of
Myself
We fell on, my wife and I,
And kissed again in tears"

I'VE fell ou', my wife and I,
And Kissed again in tears"
And what bitter tears they were, on
my part In looking back, l wonder
now how | could make such brute OF
myself about such small matter-the
mending of wretched old coat, that
was the cause of it.
Jennie was somewhat to blame, too,
suppose, for she had been Indifferent
to-no, not that, but neglec tful OF
what l considered her duty; and SO, be-
cause of little neglect on her part, ]
must needs forget my manhood and
make a brute of myself on my part,
not stopping to remember all the good
qualities for which had daily cause to
thank Heaven in sending me such a
wife. l suppose l may plead some ex-
tenuating circumstances in my favor.
/ had been suffering with headache all
day, business was dull, times were
hard. my debtors were slow in meeting
their liabilities, making it hard. in
turn, for me to meet mine. l had re-
sponded to several ''please remits''
during the day, which had almost ex-
hausted my ready cash, and I was
sorely troubled to know where the
next was to come from; so, in addition
to my headache, l went home with
the shop very much on my shoulders.
The weather was chilly and gloomy.
and a fine mist was falling, which
added not a little to the general dis.
agreeableness. To crown all, nv
Overcoat was extremely shabby, and
barely adequate to protect my person
from the invading chill of the atmos-
phere.
1t was not my best overcoat. My
best one was laid up for repairs. The
one l wore was my second best, or,
rather my second worst; for my other
was bad, this one was worse, and there
could not be said to be any best about
either of them.
There are times in life when neglect
of ourselves, Oh the part of those from
whom we have learned to expect all
sorts of willing scrvitude. assumes, in
our imagination, the enormity of
crime. almost; something, at least,
for which We are unwilling to admit an
apology.
As soon as l entered the hall door
felt that Jennie had neglected her duty
toward me. for tn ere on its accustomed
peg. where l had left it at noon, with
the request TIL at it be repaired by the
time l returned to supper, hung my
overcoat, and there, startlingly visible,
was the rent in the pocket; the rip in
the armhole. the big hole in the lining,
and the buttons that had been missing
were still missing,
All my indignation rose at once in
arms. 1t would have been little
thing on Jennie's part, l reasoned, to
take few stitches in my coat. The
lack of thought that caused it, more
than rs aeSlcct itself, was what hurt
me.
Plainly. she cared but little for the
comfort of the one who was straining
every nerve to surround her with the
delights of \ pleasant and well-ap-
pointed home. did not stop to rea-
son that nv own ambition and love of
ownership were quite rs much the in
centive to my eXertions as was my de-
sire to lavish the good things of life on
Jennie-my patient industrious Jen-
nie-who had left a better home than
could hope soon to secure for her when
She consented to share my poor fort
NneS.
She had been a most faithful help
mate. practicing the strictest economy
and performing many lowry task,
such as in her girlhood she had been a
stranger TO, in order that she might
not be a burden to me while struggled
TO gain a competence that would place
as above the fear of want in case of
sickness or other incidental misfortune.
With increasing anger jerked OF the
Coat wore. causing the seam down its
back to part wide asunder with rude
handling. and hung it. heavy and al
most dripping with moisture, beside
the other on the hall rack.
Hearing the rafting of dishes, l
staiked on into the dining-room. a
tempest of anger surging in my breast.
and ready to vent itself on the first
object that came in my way. When l
entered the room, Jennie was busy
with some arrangement of the table.
and, hearing my coming. greeted me
with her accustomed "Good-eveninc.
Jack without glancingup This, in
stead of pacifying me. only incensed
pe The more Why should she bid me